Office hours: Wed. 10-noon, Thurs. 4:30-5:30, and by appointment. Sign up sheets are on my office door weekly.

Transcription

1 Shulamit Magnus Oberlin College Spring, 2007 Jewish Studies/ History 132 Jewish History, Spanish Expulsion to the Present Tu, Th 11-12:15 Office: Rice 310 x58529 JWST office: Rice 316 x Office hours: Wed. 10-noon, Thurs. 4:30-5:30, and by appointment. Sign up sheets are on my office door weekly. This is an introduction to modern Jewish history. No prior background is assumed or required. This course give 3SS, in JWST, HIST, or both, as well as CD and WR credit. The course surveys Jewish history from the Spanish expulsion (1492) to the present, covering major developments in Jewish society and culture in eastern and western Europe, England, the Middle East, and the US. Its major themes are the challenges and cultural meaning of modernity for Jews, and how Jews were transformed and re-created themselves in modernity. Topics include: defining "Jewish modernity" by looking at cases historians consider to be turning points between "medieval" (or "traditional") and "modern"; change in attitudes and policies toward Jews in European societies and the relationship between debates about the "Jewish question" and larger processes in those societies; changes in Jewish attitudes and behavior to the non-jewish world; the end of Jewish autonomy and new forms of Jewish civil status in modernizing states; Jewish social and economic transformation in modernity, including changes in family and gender roles; acculturation and assimilation; varieties of modern Jewish religious expression (Hasidism, Reform, Neo-Orthodoxy, Positive Historical [Conservative] Judaism); modern Jewish political ideologies and movements (Zionism; socialism); modern Jew-hatred and Jewish responses; the Shoah (Holocaust); creation of the State of Israel. This syllabus gives crucial information about requirements, standards, deadlines, for which students are responsible. It is available on line at the JWST and HIST websites, from which you can make replacement hard copies, if needed. Requirements: ATTENDANCE: Attendance, except for cases of illness or emergency, is expected, will be noted, and counts in your final grade. Students are responsible for obtaining notes and any handouts and/or announcements from other students for missed classes. If a situation affects your ability to attend or do course work in an ongoing way, see me as soon as possible. I will do my best to work with you but can do this best if you alert me to the need promptly. In the unlikely event that a session must be cancelled for any reason, continue reading on calendar schedule; a makeup will be arranged. READING: All reading for the session for which it is assigned. Lectures assume and will build on but not recapitulate readings. Written assignments assume you have done the reading and integrated them with lectures. Although this is primarily a lecture course, I encourage and will solicit student participation, which depends on your having done the reading. I very much welcome questions and comments at your initiative, don't hesitate! Expect and budget time for about 60 pages of reading per session (not including notes, illustrations, blank pages); remember, this course meets twice a week. When maps or tables are in assigned pages, do study these. Guide to doing the readings: READ ACTIVELY, CONSCIOUSLY. As you read, stop and ask yourself what is striking you-- and why; how these readings relate to others we have done; anything unclear or confusing. The point is not facts per se-- though these are essential-- but WHAT THEY MEAN. Distill main points for yourself as you read and you will learn much more effectively. See "BOOKS REQUIRED FOR PURCHASE," below. You should have your own copy of each title on this list. With the exception of titles on this list, all required readings are on 1 of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

2 ERES; password:jwst 132. ALL REQUIRED TITLES (including those on ERES) ARE ON SHELF RESERVE IN MUDD, which is the default option for doing readings (if required reading is an article or chapter in a book, the journal volume/ book will be on shelf reserve). For eres, check more than one way: by title of the reading, the anthology it's in, its author, editor of the volume. If you cannot locate a reading on eres (or shelf reserve), ASK RESERVE ROOM STAFF, preferably the Supervisor, Ms. Weir, right away; ing me is not an effective way to get help with library issues, and will not excuse you from doing the reading. Do let me know if there is an unresolved library issue. If you are very organized, hate reading from a computer screen, and/ or don't wish to print readings from eres, Ohio Link is another way to obtain readings, but be sure to allot time for books to arrive. However you do it, it is each student's responsibility to do all readings for the session for which they are assigned. There are no excused failures to obtain readings. If a serious circumstance prevents you from doing readings, or other assignments, contact me. WRITTEN: There are two essay/ ID assignments of ca. 6-8 pages each at about one month intervals (submission dates on the syllabus and announced in class), and an in-class, final exam, given on the day and time set for this by the Registrar. Essay questions will be distributed at least one calendar week in advance of the assignment due date. They will draw on lectures and assigned readings; do not use web or other non-syllabus sources EXCEPT for Option A, below. Formal footnotes and bibliography are NOT to be done with essays; when citing or closely paraphrasing a source, use abbreviated citation in parentheses, in the body of your text: (Seltzer; p.367). Observe stated length limits. See writing guidelines, below. The two assignments are to be handed in to me, in hard copy only, in class, on the day they are due; no electronic submissions. Late submission except for excused (documented) illness or emergency results in grade reduction of 1/3 grade per day (e.g., A- becomes B+, etc.); lateness begins at the end of the class session in which submission is required Option A: for those who wish to study and write about an area in greater depth, you may choose, instead of ONE of the essay assignments, to do an essay integrating one additional book not on the syllabus but relating to one of the topics covered in the essay assignment, with assigned material. E.g.: read L. Fine's biography of Issac Luria and write about Lurianic kabbalah; read M. Rosman's biography of the Baal Shem Tov and write about Hasidism; read Chava Weissler's book about Ashkenazi women's spirituality and write about gender and traditional Jewish piety. You MUST see me and get consent for this option. I will allow up to 5 additional days for completion of this work than the deadline for submission of the essay assignment. Research Paper option: If you wish, you may in addition to required written course work, do a short (8-10 page) paper on a topic based on the syllabus but going beyond it with reading from 3-4 additional books or their equivalent in articles (ca. 10 articles= 1 book); I must approve the topic and will help you select bibliography. This is a choice for those who wish to do work in greater depth, or a further element in their grade. You may elect this option at any time during the course but it is in your interest to select a topic by mid-semester. The paper is due on the date and time of the course final exam. Writing guidelines: Read essay questions carefully and make sure you understand what they are asking. I f you have any doubts, speak with me. Plot out your approach to answering, whether in outline or other form. Your writing must be substantive (cite specifics), organized, focused, and coherent, and use grammatical English and proper spelling. Write simply and directly. Avoid unnecessarily complicated words and sentence structures, excessive verbiage, passive tense (ALWAYS use ACTIVE tense unless the subject is truly unknown).do not use "impact" as a verb unless you mean a collision (say: "affect," "influence"). Your writing must be self-sufficient: clear to someone who has not taken this course and has no independent knowledge of your subject. It is always the WRITER'S task to make herself clear and substantiate assertions. This type and level of writing is complex and absolutely requires drafts and revisions which means gradual work, not left to the last minute. I am happy to read and comment on drafts, or help you organize your thinking for an essay. Do make use of the writing tutors program, details about which are available in Mudd. The following are recommended, OPTIONAL guides to writing (some give tips to reading and note taking, research, and class skills as well; they also cover footnote and bibliography conventions, relevant for the paper option only). They are inexpensive paperbacks, worth owning: Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History Jules Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style HONOR CODE: All work in this course, as in all at Oberlin, must be produced in accordance with Oberlin's Honor Code, a signed 2 of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

3 declaration of which, by College rules, must accompany all written work to receive credit. Students are responsible for all provisions of the Honor Code, questions about which you may refer to Mudd Library staff, the Honor Code section on Oberlin's website, members of the Honor Code Committee, me. Other requirements: -- One class session, on US Jewry, will be held off campus, at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, about 45 minutes from Oberlin, in lieu of a regular class session. We will discuss details of this session, to be held on Sunday, 4/15, which is REQUIRED; please note the date and clear your schedules. -- Attendance at least one (2-hour minimum) session of the JWST mini course on, "Origins of Jewish Secularism," to be taught by Professor David Biale, March 4-8 (3/4: 1-5 PM; 3/5-7: 7-9; 3/8: 4:30-6:30; details on JWST website). ORAL: Each student will give a brief (5 minute, enforced!), lead off presentation to one class session and submit a 1 page outline or summary of the presentation on the day it is given; no late submissions. Your presentation should score 3-5 MAJOR ISSUES for that day's class based on the assigned readings: we want to hear your informed thinking about the reading, NOT a report on or summary of the reading. Use guidelines, above, for "active reading" to help you prepare this presentation; I am also happy to help. Draw comparisons, contrasts, conclusions; state informed reactions and opinions, and do time yourself, 5 minutes goes fast and that's your limit! No makeups for this assignment unless for a documented illness/ emergency. I will solicit sign ups but it is each student's responsibility to sign up for a lead off presentation. The final grade will be assessed as follows: leadoff presentation and write-up: 10% first essay assignment: 20% second essay assignment: 35% final exam: 35% If you choose the paper option, the final grade will be assessed as follows: leadoff presentation and write-up: 10% first essay assignment: 20% second essay assignment: 25% final exam: 25% paper: 20% BOOKS REQUIRED FOR PURCHASE, available in the bookstore, and online: Robert Seltzer, Jewish People, Jewish Thought (unusually expensive paperback; sorry!) Paul Mendes-Flohr and Jehuda Reinharz, eds., The Jew in the Modern World (2nd ed.) Judith Baskin, ed., Jewish Women in Historical Perspective Jacob Katz, Out of the Ghetto S. Magnus Oberlin College Spring, 2007 JWST/ HIST 132: JEWISH HISTORY: SPANISH EXPULSION TO THE PRESENT 1. Introductory: Defining Jewish "modernity" 2/6 In class: Mendes-Flohr, Reinharz (HENCEFORTH: MF/R), Appendix, pp and following 2. Marranos, Marranism as Harbinger of Modernity 2/8 3 of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

4 Yosef Yerushalmi, From Spanish Court to Italian Ghetto, pp.1-50 Seltzer, pp Uriel Dacosta, "My Double Life and Excommunication," in Leo Schwarz, ed., Memoirs of My People, pp (or "An Example of a Human Life," Lederer, trans. (Hebrew Union College, Readings in Modern Jewish History) MF/R, p Ottoman Jewry; Law and Mysticism: Lurianic Kabbalah 2/13 Seltzer, pp J R Marcus, The Jew in The Medieval World, revised, 1999 ed., pp Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, pp Modernity? Jews in Renaissance Italy and Reformation Germany 2/15 Seltzer, pp , Robert Bonfil, Jewish Life in Renaissance Italy, chps. 3, 5, pp , Adelman chapter in Baskin, ed., Jewish Women in Historical Perspective, pp Jacob Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World (revised, 1999 ed.), pp ; 220 IN CLASS: The music of Salomone di Rossi 5. Central Europe: Expulsions, Court Jews, Resettlement Economics, Jewish Status, and-- Modernity? 2/20 Seltzer, pp MF/R, 10-17, ** Please BRING THIS BOOK TO CLASS whenever we have readings from it F. L. Carsten, "The Court Jews: A Prelude to Emancipation," Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook (1958): The Memoirs of Glueckel of Hameln, translated by Marvin Lowenthal, pp.1-21, 32-35, 40-45, 56-84, 95-99, , (pay careful attention to the economic doings in this memoir) 6. False Messiah: Sabbetai Zevi and Sabbatianism 2/22 Seltzer, pp Scholem, Major Trends, pp Isaac Bashevis Singer, Satan in Goray a short novel by a master (Nobel winner) Yiddish writer about Sabbatianism in a Polish town; read any 25 pages, and as much more as you wish! 4 of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

5 7. Eastern Europe: Economics, Community, Piety 2/27 Seltzer, pp Jacob Katz, Tradition and Crisis, chps.9, 10, 13, pp , J. R. Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World, REVISED, 1999 ed., pp Chava Weissler chp. in Baskin ed., pp Hasidism and the Established Order 3/1 Seltzer, pp Scholem, Major Trends, pp Arthur Green, "Teachings of the Hasidic Masters," in Barry Holtz, Back to the Sources, pp (this book is a self-guide to text study read actively!) IN CLASS TAPE: A Hasidic master (Chabad) communes with God (and his disciples) ** BIALE MINI COURSE: 3/ 4-8 any 2 hours required 9. Western Europe: Mendelssohn, Haskalah 3/6 Seltzer, pp , Katz, Out of the Ghetto, chps.4-5, pp MF/R, pp.28-40, Legal Emancipation: France, German States, England 3/8 Seltzer, pp MF/R, pp , , , , 150-1, 153 Todd Endelman, The Jews of Georgian England, , Introduction, chp.1, pp Social Emancipation: Acculturation and Mobility 3/13 FIRST ESSAY DUE IN CLASS TODAY Katz, Ghetto, chps , pp Marion Kaplan chp. in Baskin, ed., pp MF/R, pp Varieties of Modern Judaism 3/15 Seltzer, pp , , of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

6 MF/R, pp , East European Jewry in the Nineteenth Century 3/20 Seltzer, pp Lucy Dawidowicz, The Golden Tradition, pp.6-42 Michael Stanislawski, "Russian Jewry, the Russian State, and the Dynamics of Jewish Emancipation," in Pierre Birnbaum and Ira Katzenelson, eds., Paths of Emancipation, pp MF/R, pp and map of Pale of Settlement (following p.379), Tradition and Upheaval in the Russian Jewish Pale 3/22 * Today's reading is all primary sources: memoirs. How would you construct history using such sources? Can memoirs be taken at face value; as representative? If not, how can they be used? MF/R, pp , Dawidowicz, Golden Tradition, pp ; , , SPRING BREAK 3/24-4/1 * NO CLASS 4/3 (Passover) 15. American Jewry: Origins and Development 4/5 Hasia Diner, The Jews in the United States, chps.1-2, pp MF/R, pp , , Immigration, Cultural, Family, and Gender Dislocation: Hester Street 4/10* A FILM, "Hester Street," will be shown today during class; the film is slightly longer than class time please be on time and arrange to stay on for about 15 additional minutes. Required reading for this session is: Diner, chp. 3, pp the Paula Hyman chp. in Baskin ed., pp Note your impressions about the film and jot these down, bring them to our next class and be prepared to hand them in, with signed HC. We will discuss the film and the assigned readings in our next class (don't leave today's the reading for then, tempting, but not good planning). *Any student who cannot make today's class because of religious conflict (Passover), SEE ME for alternatives. -- no leadoff today 17. American Jews and American Judaism *4/12 THIS SESSION WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY 4/15 AT THE MALTZ MUSEUM, and will include a tour of its permanent exhibit and a class session. Total time: ca. 5 hours, including travel, lunch break; details TBA. We will NOT meet on Thursday, 4/12. DISCUSSION OF FILM, "HESTER STREET," and readings for last time, and this time, TODAY. Bring your notes on the film. We will be joined by JWST Honors student, Sarah Litvin, who is doing her research on a related topic. 6 of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

7 Diner, chp. 4, pp MF/R, pp , 486, 490, ( unless needed by the size of the class, no leadoff today) 18. Hating Modernity and Hating Jews: Modern "anti-semitism" 4/17 SECOND ESSAY DUE IN CLASS Seltzer, pp Jacob Katz, From Prejudice to Destruction, chps. 8, 15, 24, pp , , Leonard Dinnerstein, "A History of American Anti-Semitism," in M. Grunberger, From Haven to Home, pp MF/R, pp , , , 350, , Jewish Reactions to Antisemitism: France, Germany 4/19 Michael Marrus, The Politics of Assimilation, The French Jewish Community at the Time of the Dreyfus Affair, chp.8, Ismar Schorsch, Jewish Reactions to German Anti-Semitism, , chp. 5, pp MF/R, pp , , Rejecting Exile: Zionist Thought and Movement 4/24 Seltzer, pp , , 640(bottom)-642 Arthur Hertzberg, The Zionist Idea, pp , , MF/R, pp , , Jewish Socialism 4/26 Seltzer, pp Nora Levin, While Messiah Tarried, pp , (recommended: ) MF/R, pp , Modernity and Middle Eastern Jewry 5/1 Norman Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times, pp.3-64 Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, A History and Source Book, pp.328, , , (if you read this on ERES, do take the book off the shelf and see the photo section). 23. Shoah: First Phases and Beginning of World War II 5/3 7 of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM

8 In class: film clip: "Jud Suss" Yehuda Bauer, A History of the Holocaust, pp The War Against the Jews: Perpetrators, Bystanders, Victims 5/8 Bauer, pp MF/R, pp , , , Creation of a Jewish State: Israel; Post War Jews and Realities 5/10 Lloyd Gartner, History of the Jews in Modern Times, pp MF/R, pp , , , of 8 2/12/09 1:32 PM